Auxiliary air-inlet for engines.



L. H. KIRBY.

AuxlLlAnY Am INLET FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, I9l4.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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LEWIS I-I. KIRBY, OF DETROIT', MICHIGAN.

AUXILIARY AIR-INLET FOR ENGINES.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed February 6, 1914. Serial No. 816,976.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Lnwrs H. KTRBY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Air-Inlets for Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an air intake device for the manifold of an internal combustion engine used in connection with an automobile or other motor driven vehicle.

The primary object of my invention is to provide the manifold tube of an internal combustion engine with a novel air inlet valve, the operation of which can be easily controlled from the steering post of an automobile, whereby after the engine has been placed in operation, air can be admitted to the manifold tube of the engine to increase the volume of the explosive mixture and insure a thorough combustion of the same in the explosion chamber of the engine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air inlet valve of the above type that is automatically opened by suction in the manifold tube, and provision is made for controlling the operation of the valve from the steering post of an automobile, whereby desired quantities of air can be admitted to the manifold tube or the valve closed, which is preferable when first placing the engine in operation.

I attain the above and other objects by a durable and inexpensive mechanical construction that will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in connection with a portion of an automobile; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the valve; Fig. 3 is a plan of an operating lever forming part of the steering post equipment, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.

An air inlet valve in accordance with this invention comprises a cylindrical hollow body 1 having one end thereof closed by a wall 2 and the opposite end thereof exteriorly screw threaded, as at 3 to receive a cap 4. The cap 4 is provided with a central tubular guide 5 and with a plurality of air inlet openings or ports 6 arranged circumferentially of the tubular guide 5.

The wall 2 of the valve body 1 has a concentric tubular extension 7 that is in communication with the valve body 1, also with a nipple 8 formed integral with the wall 2 and radially disposed relatively to the tubular extension. The nipple 8 is screw threaded, as at 9, and is adapted to be screwed into the wall of the manifold tube 10 of an internal combustion engine 11.

Slidably mounted in the tubular extension 7 is a cylindrical plunger 12 adapted to close the communication between the nipple 8 and the valve body 1. rIhe inner end of the plunger 12 engages the end convolution of a coiled compression spring 13, said spring encircling a stud 14 of a circular flat closure or valve 15 arranged in the valve body l and engaging the inner side of the cap 4 to control the passage of air through the port 6. The closure or valve 15 has a concentric stem 16 slidable in the guide 5 to hold the closure or valve in proper relation to the cap 4.

The outer end of the tubular extension 7 is partially closed by a wall 17 having an opening 18 to accommodate the end of a flexible tube or casing 19, said casing being preferably made of closely wound or assembled convolutions of wire. The end of the casing is retained within the opening 18 by a'set screw 20 and the opposite end thereof extends through a binding post 21 carried by a sector-shaped plate 22. rIhe end of the casing 19 is held in the binding post 21 by a set screw 23, and extending longitudinally of said casing is a flexible rod 24 that has one end thereof attached to the plunger 12 and the opposite end thereof connected by a set screw 25 to an operating lever 26 that is pivotally mounted upon the plate 22, as at 27. Adjacent to the handle 28 of the operating lever 26 is a hook-shaped member 29 that frictionally engages the curved edge 30 of the plate 22, and the member 29 is adapted to hold the operating lever 26 in adjusted position against any action of the compression spring 13 within the valve body 1.

The rear side of the plate 22 is provided with an integral transverse barrel 31 and with integral off-set apertured lugs 32, the barrel 31 being located at the large end of the plate 22 and the apertured lugs 32 projecting from :the sides ofthe plateat the small end thereof, the lugs 32 lying in a plane at an acute angle to the plane of the plate 22.

Extending through the barrel 31 is a yoke 33 that has curved clamping arms 34C provided with screw threaded ends 35 extending through the apertured lugs 32, and are retained therein by nuts 36 screwed upon the threaded ends of the arms against the lugs 32.v The clamping arms-34 are adapted 'to embrace -a steering post -37 orparts'there-V of, whereby the operating lever 26 is retained in a position convenient to the chauffeur or operator of van automobile.

By shifting the vlever 26 `into proximity into the manifold l0, combining with the explosive mixture Yto facilitate combustion within the engine. f

The devicecan be `easily and quickly installed by simply providing the dash board of the automobile with an opening to accommodatethe flexible casing 19, and the manifold l0 with an opening to receive the4 threaded 'end `of the nipple '8. 'll-he device Copies of this ipatezit may be obtained Lfor-'iive -cents each, by addressing the @Commissioner of ilatents,

only needs attention when startingland sto'p# ping the engine 11, otherwise it is automatic in admitting quantities of air to the manifold.

One embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, but it is to be yunderstood that the structural elements are susceptibleV to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claimf-isz-Q v An air inlet valve comprising a cylindrical hollow body having an end wall, a cap mounted on said body and `provided' with openings, a guide concentric of said cap, a

fiat valve in said bod-y of less diameter thanV said body and normally closing the openings extension and connected direct to said plunger for moving said plunger longitudinally off'said tubular extension.

in .presence of two witnesses. ,LEWIS H. KIRBY.` Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDER,

' ANNA M. DoRR.

In testimony whereof lI affix my signature Y 

